Lab Values 101: Get To Know Your Fertility Blood Work.

So you’ve done your homework and read up on the hormones involved in your menstrual cycle from TFG’s recent post “Your Cycle: The Chemicals Involved.” You’re knowledgable and confident and strut into into your next doctor’s appointment feeling well versed in gynecological studies. But now your doctor is throwing lab values here and there and you once again get that sense of being overwhelmed and under prepared. What do all of those values mean? What is being tested and why does it matter when it comes to fertility?

Since doctors, with good reason, don’t typically want to generalize lab results, I found it hard to find any references to “normal” fertility lab values online. But my belief is that it’s nice to feel informed and have a foundation of knowledge when entering a conversation with your doctor. Thats why I’ve compiled some common fertility lab tests, the values considered to be “normal*,” notes on what the tests mean and how doctors may interpret the results.

*Please know that normal value ranges are interpreted differently by each laboratory or fertility center. The best way to understand your test results is to consult with your Medical Doctor.